Are they hard to make at home? I haven't found great/reliable spots to get these in SF. (Where are the great SF spots for these??)
My tip is to go to a japanese grocery store and buy an onigiri mold for $3. All you do is stuff the rice (and fillings) into the mold and press. Keep the mold in a bowl of water between making balls (like they keep ice cream scoops in water)
A number of Japanese students I knew just used leftover rice to make onigiri for lunch the next day.
In SF, Super Mira on Sutter & Buchanan has an assortment. And of course Nijiya. I don't think Onigilly is anything special.
A bit. I've tried it but didn't have a ton of success. Main thing I found is use plastic wrap when trying to shape the rice, or else it tends to stick to your hands more than it sticks to itself.
Fill bottom half with rice > Add Filling > Top off with rice > Press and done!
Not at all. You need the right type of rice (and a rice cooker helps). There are many options for the filling, some of which don't even require a trip to the Asian grocery store.
But also like sandwiches an excellent one is difficult to make.
Pro tip:
Get a real rice cooker (Panasonic) and real rice (Nishiki) and use the right rice-water ratio of 1:1.25
Be sure to rinse the rice to wash off any arsenic dust. (Same is true for other rices and grains)